Victorian Christmas dinners  are an excellent alternative to the traditional l Christmas dinners, that  as great as they might be can get a bit boring  when you have them again, and again, and again, and again. So why not try something new?  Why not try the  neglected yet incredibly rewarding experience of a Christmas dinner set in the style of 19th Century Victorian England?

There are so many amazing aspects of such an option. And they are quite different from anything you might be used to. What first strikes the person who takes this up is the absolute attention to detail these Victorians put into their dinners. Think about it – who nowadays would spend so much energy adorning their dining room with linens and china, evergreens, flowers, and all the rest of it? We make excuses for our “busy” lives, and we don’t give time for quality in these events nowadays. Yet they did then quite regularly.

And the food at the Victorian dinner! This was of such high quality that it is almost a crime that Americans today don’t eat it! There were all kind of creative options to choose from go beyond the standard option of turkey, as good as that is. We’re talking about anything from boars head to a rib of beef to Yorkshire pudding to clear turtle soup. As far as the meat was concerned, the most exciting feature was the goose. People in southern England, during Queen Victoria’s reign, were more likely to feast upon this specialty. It would be prepared in a similar way to turkey, but with a dressing featuring sage and onions, in order to complement the goose’s unique flavor.

But by far the most important feature of the Victorian Christmas dinner was the pudding. It had the distinction, odd for a pudding nowadays, of including suet (beef fat), but it also included raisins, currants, bread crumbs, all kinds of citrus, spices, and sherry and brandy. This would be a major investment, involving the whole family.

And while it was not the predominant feature of the meal, mincemeat was still a famous feature of these dinners.

And last but not least – sugarplums! These scrumptious desserts are sure to bring joy to even the grouchiest scrooge.

I think you will agree that the Victorian Christmas dinner is your most memorable.